The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-24
PERPETUAL MOTION.
A PATENT ATTORNEY TELLS THE
STORY OF A CURIOUS, CASE.

"Do you have many perpetual! motion
cranks nowadaysp' asked a reporter Of a
prominent patent attorney, at Williard's
Hotel last night. Not many" was the re-
ply Il have had only one or two i'll my
experience One of them was a very sin
gular case. 1t happened quite while ago,
One day, while was sitting at one of my
spare desks examining a patent case, the
door opened and in walked three men in
Indian file They were queer-looking fell
lows. The first was a tall, gaunt, gray
bearded and gray-haired man, dressed in
old-fashioned black clothes, covered by a
long linen buster. The second was a short,
fat, chunky fellow, countryman, appar-
emily. and neighbor of the old fellow The
third man evidently belonged to this city,
Probably he picked the other two up, or
happened to know what they were after, and
so brought them to me- Well, when they
got inside the door, the old fellow stalked
over in military fashion in my direction.
When he got directly opposite me he turned
riChtabout and walking up to my desk
drew long and large roll of paper from
under his arm. He handed it to me, say
ing; wan si. ,,ho4 do vo,, +b;n, Of thots
go II took the roll, opened it, and after look
w ing over its contents for a few minutes, dur
y ing which the old fellow stood as silent as
the grave, | said
"'It appears to me to be perpetual mo-
zion device
+ % That's Just what it is, sir That's just
what it is / knew you would see it in a
minute, said the old man with a grin.
PRIVATE CONFERENCE.
1.-The old man then looked around to
where my craftsmen were sitting, an inter
Z ss<sted spectator of the scene. He moti0ned
4eilently with one hand to my private Office,
Acting as if he wanted to speak of things he
ibid not wish overheard. Well, into my of
nee the three walked. When they got in
hide the short man closed the door and then
stood against it, so that the craftsmen could
mot get in. The old gentleman then asked
me what could do for him l inquired of
him in reply if he had model of his inven-
ton. He drew out of one of his pockets
three combs with convolutes on them. |
took them in my hand for a moment, and
then l told the old fellow that frankly ]
could not get him a patent for perpetual
motion The thing, as you know, is a chest
nut and unless we could make some practi-
cal demonstration of the invention in the
Patent Office the examiners there would
throw it out and laugh at me for my pains.
But the old gentleman persisted that he
wanted it patented, even though told him
time and again that it was utterly useless;
such device invented. However, saw that
the mechanical principle involved in a part
Of the thing was radical and totally new,
and l thought that | might get him q
patent for that. | told him so He wouldn't
bear of it at first, but finally, after his com
panions had persuaded him that it would be
best to let me protect him in that respect,
nd that he could hereafter obtain a patent
the rest, the old fellow consented.
READY WITH HIS CASH,
''He then asked me what was my fee
old him that So was all asked to make
preliminary examination to see whether the
hing had already been patented. But h'
wasn't satisfied with this. He wanted me t.
ypply for the patent anyhow and so | tolC
i'm that would require S50-S15 for tn
Patent Office fee and S35 for mysef-t'
start the thing. He never said word
but, putting his hand into an inside
rocket, he pulled out an old leather poucl
tuffed full Of money. He took a $50 bill
Mt and handed it to me. 1t was then Sat
rday, and the old man told me that he wa
going back to Arkansas, and that as he haC
about eighty miles of staging TO do after hC
eft the railroad he couldn't possibly get t.
lis home before the following Wednesday o.
thursday. Now, although had taken thu
A ZEE of $50 from the old man, / had no in
IGNITION of hurTying the matter up, becaus
thought he was crazy, and theretor
Thought that the bare fact of his knowing
that the ivention was then on its wa,
sthrough the Patent Office would satisfy hin
kand keep him quiet for time. So, just a
4 they left the office, / called the short MAJ
back and said to him that INTENDED to hang
he patent up il my office for some time
Wen, that
H LET THE CAT OUT
pf the bag. He told me that it was put
3 mp job on the old man; that he had been
prosperous dentist in country town down
= in Arkansas when he got the idea into hi
4 bead of inventing perpetual motion. From
8 trhat time he gave up business thing
md devoted all his time and money 10 hi
Invention. He said also that during thu
rfbree years the old fellow had worked on i
shat he had not had on any night more
than three hours sleep, and that his friends
# fealizing his condition, sent him on i'll tn,
Y Hope that once he got the thing before tht
5 office he would forget all about it. | saw
rrlainly that if the old man worked another
iix months over il he would have to be pu
an insane asylum Well the old man
went home, and do YOU know that before
the following Thursday / got an allowance
Yes, sir! They gave him patent on it.
expected, you know, that after had com
pleted the preliminaries they would give m
some references and by this means l coulc
delay the affair as long as pleased. Blu
aol 1t went through without hitch, apt
hardly had the old man got to his home be
ore my letter telling him about 1T mus
lave reached him.
'What then happened / do not know.
have often wondered since what the old MAJ
did, and whether he was finally locked M
in On insane asylum.
A SINGULAR CASE.
az suppose you have had many other sin
gular cases, said the reporter.
ANY quantity of them, replied the at
torney. II had case not long ago. An in
ventor living way back in the country wrot
me that he wanted to get out patent on
churn. The feature of the invention wa
that at the time the cream was churned th'
butter made was collected in the churn by
peculiar motion in churning But tn
man had not the happy faculty Of express
ing himself on paper with clearness, and 81
when he wrote personally for patent the,
threw the thing out of the office. becaus
they could not understand it. Well, on,
night bought gallon and half OF cream
and after I got home | got out the churI
and poured the cream into il. | churneI
away for about ten minutes and then haul
ing up the lid saw about three pounds o
butter nicely packed against one side OF thu
churn. When presented the case 10 tn
examiner he again threw it out but | APP
pealed 20 the board, because | was satisfied